Autism Awareness Teaching Assistant
Location: Gateshead
Contract: Full-time, Long-term
Start Date: Immediate
Are you someone who just gets it when it comes to understanding autism? The kind of person who knows that communication isn’t always verbal, progress looks different for everyone, and patience really is a superpower?
We’re looking for an Autism Awareness Teaching Assistant to join a warm and inclusive specialist school in Gateshead, supporting children with a range of learning differences and complex needs.
The school is a calm, nurturing environment where every child’s achievements are celebrated—whether that’s mastering a new routine, joining in a sensory activity, or simply smiling more each day. You’ll work alongside a dedicated team who truly believe in individualised education and in helping every pupil feel seen, supported, and understood.
What you’ll be doing:
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Supporting pupils aged 3–19 with autism and additional needs in a specialist classroom environment
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Helping to create structured, sensory-friendly spaces that promote calm and engagement
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Encouraging communication through Makaton, PECS, or other visual tools
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Supporting with personal care and day-to-day routines where required
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Working closely with teachers, therapists, and families to celebrate small wins and make a big impact
What we’re looking for:
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Experience working with children or young people with autism (school, nursery, or care setting)
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A patient, positive, and understanding approach
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Awareness of sensory processing differences and strategies to support them
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Confidence to adapt and stay calm in changing situations
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A genuine passion for helping every child thrive in their own way
If you’re already Thrive-trained, brilliant. If not, we’ll cover it – you can take advantage of our free Thrive training to boost your skills and confidence in supporting emotional wellbeing.
Why join Protocol Education?
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Weekly pay through PAYE (no umbrella companies)
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Free access to our CPD and Thrive training programmes
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Dedicated SEN consultant support
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Opportunities in specialist and inclusive schools across the North East
Every child deserves someone who sees their potential. If that sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.
Apply today and let’s find your next rewarding role in SEND education.
All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. Please see the FAQs on the Protocol Education website for further details.
All pay rates quoted will be inclusive of 12.07% statutory holiday pay. This advert is for a temporary position. In some cases, the option to make this role permanent may become available at a later date.
Protocol Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We undertake safeguarding checks on all workers in accordance with the DfE statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, this may also include an online search as part of our due diligence on shortlisted applicants.
We offer FREE online safeguarding and Prevent Duty training to all our workers. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and subscribe to the DBS Update Service.
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